The game was a fascinating battle as Magic met an opponent that was able to nullify their running game and cause serious problems inside.

Leopards’ Howard Crawford - thought by some to be the most talented player outside the BBL - was the main obstacle, blocking and altering an array of Magic’s shots.

Crawford’s stamp on the game was confirmed with a ferocious put-back dunk midway through the third quarter which stunned the Amaechi crowd to silence.

A couple of careless turnovers down the stretch meant Magic missed a couple of chances to win the game in regulation.

Fittingly, it was another, albeit less spectacular put-back from Crawford which took the game to overtime, as the freakishly athletic forward levelled the scores at 65-65 with just 4 seconds remaining.

The additional period seemed to fire up the Manchester team, with some smart plays at both ends from Jack Minister helping to ignite a 9-0 run.

Despite two dagger three-pointers from Kris Clark to give them a sniff, Leopards could not recover as Magic sank pressure free throws to claim an 81-73 victory.

Guard Tom Ward was singled out for praise by coach Paul Middleton after a 25 point, five rebound, five assist performance that saw the dynamic guard play all 45 minutes: “I thought Tom Ward was very good.

“He had two or three ridiculous turnovers, but he played the whole game.

“There were some crucial times where he made some stuff happen that was crucial. If he hadn’t have done, probably we would have lost the game.”

Ward was supported by fellow guard Franc Garcia Garrido, who chalked up 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. American forward Ryan Lohfink claimed a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.